Patents by Inventor Lawrence Edward Rentz

Lawrence Edward Rentz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20020079085
    Abstract: A turbine recuperator includes a housing and a support member positioned within the housing. A passage extends between the housing and the support member. A plurality of heat transfer cells are secured to the support member. Each cell includes a corrugated sheet folded over onto itself, with the sides that are folded over being secured to the support member. The ends of the sheets are sealed to define a chamber. An inlet header is in fluid communication with each chamber through a plurality of inlets formed in the support header. An outlet header is in fluid communication with each chamber through a plurality of outlets formed in the support header.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventor: Lawrence Edward Rentz
  • Patent number: 6286211
    Abstract: A method for making a brush-tooth seal, such as a brush-tooth seal which is attachable to a turbine stator, includes obtaining a seal carrier having a groove and having seal teeth and obtaining a brush seal having bristles with tips. The brush seal is engaged in the groove and then attached to the seal carrier. Then, the tips of the bristles of the attached and engaged brush seal are cut, such as with an electric discharge machining (EDM) wire, at a predetermined distance from the longitudinal axis of the seal carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Norman Arnold Turnquist, Osman Saim Dinc, Frederick George Baily, Robert Harold Cromer, Lawrence Edward Rentz, Christopher Edward Wolfe
  • Patent number: 6261057
    Abstract: An arrangement and method for accurately radially locating a brush seal relative to a rotor provides a labyrinth seal segment having a slot open toward the rotor and defining an interior ledge facing away from the rotor, a brush seal segment inserted in the slot and having an exterior shoulder facing toward the rotor and overlying the interior ledge of the labyrinth seal segment such that the brush seal segment can move radially relative to the labyrinth seal segment and rotor and the shoulder of the brush seal segment can move toward and away from the interior ledge of the labyrinth seal segment, and set screws tightened into spaced apart threaded holes in the labyrinth seal segment forcing the shoulder of the brush seal segment against the ledge of the labyrinth seal segment so as to prevent radial floating of the brush seal segment relative to the labyrinth seal segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Norman Arnold Turnquist, Frederick George Baily, Lawrence Edward Rentz
  • Patent number: 6250640
    Abstract: A number of sealing segments 20 mounts a brush seal about a rotor. The tips of the brush seal 46 are maintained out of contact with the rotor surface throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery. Thus, the increase in temperature resultant from rubs between the bristle tips and the rotor 12 which effectively increase vibrations of the turbomachinery are eliminated. Brush seals are therefore maintained out of contact with the rotor throughout the entire operating range of the turbomachinery and thus do not affect the dynamic behavior of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Wolfe, Norman Arnold Turnquist, Robert Harold Cromer, Osman Saim Dinc, Lawrence Edward Rentz, Roger Jordan Carr, Joseph Robert Toth, Edward A. Dewhurst, Frederick George Baily
  • Patent number: 6168377
    Abstract: Brush seals are employed on steam turbine rotors without the risk of causing thermal rotor bowing and without compromising the sealing performance. In one form, a groove in the rotor has an insert in frictional contact with the brush seal. The non-uniform distribution of heat due to frictional contact between the brush seal and proud portions of the rotor is dissipated within the insert such that adjoining rotor portions are substantially uniformly heated without causing thermal bow. In a further form, a groove or grooves are provided in the rotor surface adjacent to the brush seal and maintain non-uniform heat distribution locally in the rotor without causing thermal bow of the rotor. In another form, a land projects radially outwardly of the rotor surface in contact with the brush seal. The non-uniform distribution of heat due to frictional contact between proud portions of the land and the brush seal dissipates into a uniform distribution of heat in the rotor proper to avoid thermal bowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Wolfe, Frederick George Baily, Lawrence Edward Rentz, Alexander Morson, Norman Arnold Turnquist, Paul Thomas Marks, Roger Jordan Carr
  • Patent number: 6116608
    Abstract: A brush seal is mounted between rotary and stationary components in a flow stream having solid particles. A gap is formed through the brush seal bristles and a deflector plate is disposed to catch and deflect solid particles on the upstream side of the brush seal to direct the particles through the gap to the downstream side of the brush seal. In this manner, the solid particles of the flow stream do not erode or otherwise deteriorate the brush seal bristles or ancillary parts of the brush seal. The deflector plates may be directed axially upstream, at an angle to a plane passing through the brush seal or may comprise an arcuate configuration directed upstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Wolfe, Martin Francis O'Connor, Mehmet Demiroglu, Lawrence Edward Rentz, Frederick George Baily